# Case Study: Customer Journey Map With Operating Principles  ## Metadata - Author: [[Amy Mitchell]] - Full Title: Case Study: Customer Journey Map With Operating Principles - Category: #articles - Summary: This case study shows how integrating a detailed customer journey map with operating principles can improve teamwork and customer service. By addressing specific customer issues and establishing clear guidelines, the product team can provide a more consistent experience. This approach helps the team scale effectively while maintaining high service quality. - URL: https://www.productcompass.pm/p/customer-journey-map-with-operating-principles?r=3mtnp9&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true ## Highlights - Did you know you can integrate the customer journey into your daily product operations to improve collaboration and better serve your customers? ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zejvhvch8bect0xjhghyjc)) - Several early customer issues have not been captured in the existing customer journey map: • Each customer has unique terms of service and different service activation milestones. • Customers frequently request expansions shortly after activation. • CSMs and Sales are not proactively discussing renewal plans with customers. • Special requests made during the sales cycle are not being tracked. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zeqrzwac9ap38y408pya3e)) - the product managers initially created a high-level customer journey map, but it was more of a "check-the-box" exercise, lacking the detail needed for effective daily customer interactions. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zf0wwke8j6sbbedsbwfqsd)) - The first step is to analyze recent problems with the current customer journey map. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjbqxw327s44c334026a68)) - The missing pieces are: 1. Term of service operating principles 2. The CSMs don’t have operating principles to deal with customer requests efficiently ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjdfx491jyp2fckca1wsxx)) - The product managers add the major service milestones for the term: • Service set up: starts when the customer orders service until the product is installed • Activation: When the first backup is done • End of term: the last month of service per the customer contract ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjeh2vpdectez644x2v9b7)) - The product team reviews the illustration:  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjetcnbrv8zzsajfgdcp6q)) - Now, it is time to add detail to the customer journey map to leverage the new Term of Service operating principle.  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjhyeg1cpaeg6hvze5snrv)) - An operating principle on renewal treatment can prevent this issue in the future. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjksj3z1nxg23aytmvc2w8)) - The operating principle:  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zjmdahw6w6d7s5pqzqqxdh)) - They review the below expansion operating principles with the product team:  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zk2h4ddxncsf0p6bczfwga)) - A summary of the four steps is in the below table:  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zk6crgjtbk81s68tbb4c9q)) - With an upfront investment in defining and implementing these operating principles, the customer experience becomes more consistent, allowing the team to scale effectively while maintaining high service quality.  ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zk8hhyej2zsays87cajktd)) - To ease the transition, consider these steps: • Place the customer journey map and operating principles under version control in your team’s shared internal documents space. • Review one or two principles in each product team meeting and incorporate any feedback. • When questions arise related to the customer journey or operating principles, answer them by referencing the relevant principle. • Periodically update the team on any changes. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zka6dzy01gc46m63pxg0ga)) - To maintain a single, cohesive communication plan, synchronize updates to the customer journey and operating principles with feature releases. Dripping out operating principle changes before the feature release can cause confusion. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01j4zkddys8zrv6sh1j7fghppz))